Appearing in a clearing just below Mount Olympus, both Nemesis and Ella began to walk.
Nemesis smirked as she looked over at Ella.
"You gave them a false trail." The statement almost sounding like a question.
Ella didn't bother to look over at the Goddess as she stared at the opening portal the Chronos stone was creating for them as the Goddess held the glowing stone in her hand.
"No." Ella said as she continued to walk towards the portal.
Nemesis eyebrows furrowed slightly as she too continued to walk towards the portal.
"I just placed them in the middle of the trail…" Twitching of her lips made the hidden meaning of the words clear to the Goddess as she two smirked as chuckled quietly.
Stepping into the portal both traveled……to the past.
A million things ran through Xena's mind as she stared at the empty space before her. A few seconds passed before she looked down and quickly retrieved the Chronus stone left behind.
I don't like this at all. Xena thought as she stared at the stone in her hand.
Her first thoughts were of Eve. Ella's words repeating her mind.
Did you really believe that you were given the power to kill God's because of your daughter's birth?!
Ella's throat should have been sliced in two with the chakrum…instead it had slid through Ella as if she were a ghost. Stripped of her powers to kill gods, Xena's fear for her child increased.
But her internal battle was nothing to what Gabrielle was experiencing.
Gabrielle had remained standing where she was as what had just occurred kept repeating in her mind.
The way Ella had transformed right before her very eyes. How her personality had completely flipped in the fraction of a second.
The sound of her laugh continued to ring in her ears. She shivered at the sound. Soo different from the laughs they had shared while traveling together. Her smirk not like the gentle smirk of embarrassment or joy that Gabrielle had watched form on the young girls face.
Something was terribly wrong here. Gabrielle was more then certain that what she had seen just now was not Ella at all.
Her mind played back all the moments she had shared with Ella.
"Wait. I didn't come here to fight you. I followed you so I could learn from you." She heard Ella's awed voice.
"You're going to trust me…………….just like that?"
"I'm always hungry. I could probably out eat you."
"Don't bet on it."
They had both laughed together.
Remembering the night that she had been attacked and how she had truly feared for Ella's life. How protective she had become of her in soo little time.
"If she was hurt in any way...I'll hunt you till the end of the earth."
A small smile came to her as she thought of how angry Ella had been when she found out that she had missed the fight with the bandits.
Slowly the smile fell away as she remembered the day she had decided to see if Ella really knew how to defend herself. Gabrielle remembered her fear as Ella held her own sais against her throat. If Ella had wanted to……she could have killed her right then and there.
Gabrielle shook her head. None of what just happened made sense.
How Ella's face had beamed when she had sung her father's song.
She remembered how they had both exchanged stories of their childhood.
Gabrielle didn't know that she had begun to cry. Only noticing when the tears fell from her cheeks. Slowly she brushed them away and took a fortifying breath.
Yet among the three Aphrodite's thoughts were much more fearful than what anyone would have guessed.
Aphrodite had learned that she was the last Greek God and that Nemesis had returned from the endless cavern.
Her mind whirled with what all if meant. Swallowing the huge lump that had formed in her throat she wiped away the tears that had fallen.
"We need to find Eve." Xena said out loud. It snapped both Gabrielle and Aphrodite out of there revere.
"Do you think Ella's after Eve?" Gabrielle asked with her eyebrows scrunched up with a huge amount of doubt in her face.
Xena looked up into Gabrielle's eyes with worry clearly shining in her bright blues.
"I don't know……but I don't want to take any chances.
"I can take us to where she is." Aphrodite said with a horse voice.
Xena nodded her head. And with a fluttering of heart sparkles they were in front of Eve…and Virgil.
Screeching they scrambled to cover themselves.
Both obviously not expecting company.
Both Xena and Gabrielle had quickly closed there eyes and turned around.
"Sorry about that sweet cheeks. But we need to talk NOW!" Aphrodite said with a no nonsense voice.
Xena and Gabrielle had slapped their hands over there eyes after having seen both Eve and Virgil underneath one bedroll with each other. Both obviously naked.
"She hasn't even really known him but a day." Gabrielle mumbled out in what one would only assume was disgust. Only problem was that even though Eve didn't hear her, Xena DID!
Xena removed her hand from her eyes and forced herself to overcome the shock of finding her daughter in such a manner, and quickly focused on defending her daughter.
"Are you trying to say EVE forced herself on Virgil? Please Gabrielle you know what's more likely!"
Gabrielle turned angrily towards Xena.
"Are you trying to say that Virgil forced Eve?" Gabrielle asked hotly.
"Xena I thinking your forgetting the fact that your daughter is not innocent. Ares being proof enough."
A dangerous light entered Xena's eyes and she opened her mouth closed her eyes as she brought up a finger, shaking her head in denial.
"You did not just…"
"YES! I DID!" Gabrielle yelled right in Xena's face.
It looked as though both were actually going to physically fight for the second time in history.
Both Virgil and Eve watched in astonishment as they both still lay naked underneath their shared bedroll.
"HOLD IT!!!" Aphrodite yelled out and both Xena and Gabrielle found themselves on opposite sides of the clearing.
"BOTH OF YOU STOP!!" Aphrodite yelled.
"You both need to calm down and realize that you don't want to fight each other. Besides……..we don't have time for this……remember!?" Aphrodite said as her eyes switched between Gabrielle and Xena.
Gabrielle's anger melted as she continued to stare at Xena. Slowly the tension melted away. Gabrielle closed her eyes. Shaking her head she raised and dropped her arms.
"I'm sorry Xena. I'm not thinking clearly…"
"It's ok Gabrielle." Xena said as she two calmed down. Xena realized that Gabrielle was distraught with what was happening with Ella. In all honesty Xena felt just as betrayed as Gabrielle.
Xena couldn't really believe the person that she had watched traveling with Gabrielle was the same woman that they had seen in the halls of Olympus.
"Do you guys mind if we…" Virgil asked as he gestured to Eve and himself.
"We'll let you get dressed." Aphrodite cut in.
With that Aphrodite quickly grabbed Gabrielle and Xena and pulled them away.
Ella stared at the field she had stepped into as the portal behind her swiftly closed. Nemesis stood beside her.
Turning Ella smiled at Nemesis.
The Goddess smiled wickedly beginning to chuckle knowing that neither Xena or Gabrielle……would have ever seen this coming.
"You are quite the genius Ella. Your plan is better then mine."
Ella bowed her head at the Goddess' compliment.
"I have been planning this moment for years. But only until you came can it be possible." Ella said with respect showing in her eyes.
Nemesis understood all too well what Ella was feeling. Allowing the memories and thoughts of the young warrior to seep into her godly mind and whirl around like a storm's wind.
"If we succeed…" Nemesis began.
"Let's not jump the boat just yet. There is still a chance that everything we do will be in vain. Let's just hope that our trip before here has truly brought everything full circle." Ella said as she turned back around and began to walk.
Nemesis followed without question.
"When you die…" Nemesis began softly.
"Go back to the future and bring my brothers and sisters. Don't let either Eve (saying the name with disgust) or Virgil see me. You know what else needs to be done."
"Consider it so." The statement reassuring Ella that Nemesis would see to it that her requests would be carried out.
"Why are you doing this?" Nemesis asked her all of a sudden.
The question caused Ella to stop and turn to look at the Goddess. The tears that instantly appeared in Ella's eyes wounding the old god.
"You know why…"Ella's voice quivered as she whispered the words.
Nemesis' eyes studied the woman before her. Lifting her hand she caressed Ella's cheek.
"If I could take it all away……I would." Nemesis told Ella earnestly.
Ella closed her eyes causing the moisture in her eyes to squeeze out and spill. Opening them she looked at the Goddess with determination.
"Gabrielle is marrying Perdicus as we speak. It won't be long now..." Ella said with sadness in her voice.
Nemesis nodded, retracting her hand.
"Pray that all goes as it should." The Goddess whispered to Ella.
With that Ella sniffed and slowly began to walk forward.
Nemesis watched as Ella continued to walk away. Her hand turning and cupping as the Chronos stone appeared in her hand, glowing and shining it opened another portal. As she watched Ella disappearing in the distance she walked into the vortex and journeyed through time.